Wrigglemania runs wild at Last Laugh!

Wellington
comedians Steve Wrigley scooped the NZ International Comedy
Festival's big prize, The Billy T Award, at the "Last Laugh"
event on Sunday night in front of a sold out audience at
SKYCITY Theatre.

The closing ceremony topped off what
has been considered one of the most successful years in the
Festival's 12 year history - over 50% of the shows sold out
with the majority of those being Kiwi comedians.

Wrigley, whose show "The First Time" won rave reviews
with critics and audiences alike, was overcome with emotion
upon his name being announced in the SKYCITY Theatre,
running out on stage and into the crowd to celebrate with
close friends.

Upon accepting the yellow towel from
last year's winners, mrs.peacock, Wrigley paid tribute to
fellow comedians Ben Hurley, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer and
especially to his good friend and inspiration for the show,
Cyan Corwine.

Wrigley beat out a high calibre of
contestants involved in this year's Billy T Awards,
including Simon McKinney, Grant Lobban, Jim Brown and The
Lonesome Buckwhips. The winner of the Billy T Award picks up
not only the yellow towel synonymous with Billy T James but,
also a $5000 cheque.

It was a big win for Wellington
all round, as Ben Hurley becomes only the third comedian to
win the newly created FRED Award, besting the likes of The
Outwits and Justine Smith.

Garnering a standing ovation
from fellow comedians Hurley, whose show "Boom!" sold out
across the entire Festival, joins past winners Dai Henwood
and Brendhan Lovegrove and received The Fred Award Boot and
a $3000 travel grant.

Other winners included Michele
A'Court, picking up the "Spirit of the Festival" award for
her Wellington season, the Electric Kokozoids scooped "Best
Newcomer" and the UK's Jason Cook picked up "Best
International Act" to a rapturous applause.

The full
list of NZ International Comedy Festival 2008 award winners
are:

ALSO:

"Unfortunately we are in crisis and this friendly dinosaur faces extinction… Our only hope is to try and raise funds to buy the building and restore it to its glory, either fully funded or with a viable deposit." More>>

Previously undiscovered letters and a story written by a young Katherine Mansfield were recently unearthed in Wellington City Library’s archives by a local author researching a book about the famous writer. More>>